Electrical caponizing forceps



Sept. 3, 1935. G. H. BEUOY ELECTRICAL CAPONIZING FORCEPS Filed Nov. 27, 1934 Sum Patented Sept. 3, 1935 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CAPONIZING FOBCEPS George H. Beuoy, Cedar Vale, Kans.

Application November 27, 1934, Serial No. 755,042

This invention relates to the class of surgical instruments and pertains particularly to an improved form of instrument designed primarily for use in the operation of caponizing.

me-primary object of the present invention is to provide an instrument by which the severance andremoval of the gland in performing the capohizin'g operation may be eii'ected, after the body has been opened up in the usual manner,

without the use of a knife or other cutting implement, the instrument being so designed that it may be held in one hand and employed for the dual purpose of severing the'gland retaining cord ,and removing the gland from the body.

"Another object of the invention is to provide an'improved caponizing instrument whereby the actual severing of the gland from the body is accomplished by means of a highly heated element of the'instrument which eifects the searing of the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a caponizinginstrument in the form of a pair of forceps, in which one arm carries a high resistance electric wire connected with suitable conducting wires by means of which current may be conducted thereto upon the closing of a suitable switch to heat the wire to incandescence so that the gland supporting cords may be burned ofl after the gland has been grasped by the forceps.

; i A still further object of the invention is to provide a forceps-like instrument which is adapted to be used in two positions; in one of which positions the gland may be taken hold of and in the second position the cord engaged by the forcepswill be burned through due to the heating by electricity of an incandescent element forming a part of one element of the forceps which is in contact with the cord.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the instrument embodying the present invention showing the arms thereof completely separated.

Figure 2 is a similar view' of the instrument showing the arms in one closed position.

' '1 Claims. (Cl. 21941) Figure 3 is a similar view showing the arms in the second closed position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view in plan of the inner side of the incandescent wire carrying arm of the forceps.

Figure 7 is a view of the inner side of the incandescent wire carrying arm of the forceps showing the character of the same before the wires are covered with insulation material.

Figure 8 is a view of the inner side of the other arm of the forceps showing the insulation abutment for the incandescent wire and one contact element.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numerals i and 2 indicate the two arms of the instrument, each of which has an obliquely directed relatively long terminal, as indicated by the numerals 3 and 4. The ends of the arms I and 2 remote from the terminals are joined together in any suitable manner to provide an area therebetween as, for example, by the use of spacing bodies 5 which are riveted to the arms, through which may pass the two electric wires 6 and I, each of which has attached to one free end an element 8 by which its attachment to a battery or other source of electric current is facilitated. It is understood, of course, that the drawing merely illustrates one manner in which the arms may be Joined and it is not to be construed that the invention is limited to this specific construction.

' The terminal 4, which may be referred to as the under or bottom terminal, has its free end formed to provide the broad or spatulate tip 9 across the inner face of which is placed a strip of insulation material it which is of a character to remain unaffected by an incandescent wire in contact therewith.

The opposite terminal 3 has its free end or tip formed into two divergently related fingers l I and these are hollow on the inner faces forming the channels I! which converge and join the channel i3 which is formed longitudinally of the inner face of the terminal 3, as shown in Figure 7. Each of the arms at a point adjacent its terminal has a pocket l4 formed in its inner face and it will be seen upon reference to Figure 7, the pocket of the arm I has the channel It leading thereinto.

lnthcpockctsflofthearms IandIarelOcated,

respectively, the contact buttons I5 and IS. The button I5 has a wire I! leading therefrom along the channel I3 and into the channel of a finger I I. One of the two wires 6--l which is insulated as far as the buttons of the two arms, extends past the button I5 and along the channel I3 to and along the other finger I I where it attaches to one end. of a high resistance wire or bar l8 which extends across the ends of the fingers II. and has its other end attached to the wire I1. The pocket I 4 in which the button I5 is located and also the channels I2 and I3 are filled with an insulation material I9 which completely surrounds these wires separating them one from the other and from contact with the metal of the arm I and the finger 3. As illustrated in Figures 6 and '7, the inner sides of the channels I2 of the fingers II are cut away at 20 to permit the bar l8 to extend across without coming into contact with the metal of the fingers and this cut away area is filled with insulation I9, as shown in Figure 6.

The pocket It in which the contact button I6 is located is also filled with insulation material so as to maintain this button free from contact with the arm 2 and this button I6 has the other one of the two electric wires connected therewith.

The arms I and 2 are formed of a suitable resilient material and are so connected that when they are not in use, they will separate to the positions shown in Figure 1, and the relation of the obliquely directed terminals 3 and 4 of the arms is such that as the arms are forced together, the bar I8 will contact with the insulation substance l upon the tip 9 of the terminal 4 before the contact buttons I and I6 touch. By this means, the forceps may be employed for holding the gland or the cord attaching the same to the body while the gland is being maneuvered into the proper position for severing it. When the proper position has been reached, the further compression of the arms of the forceps will bring the contacts I5-I 6 into engagement so that electric current will flow through the resistance wire bar I 8 and as a result of the high degree to which the same will be heated, the cord attaching the gland to the body will be readily burned through. By then slightly releasing the arms I and 2, the electric circuit may be broken without releasing the hold of the terminals upon the gland so that the latter may be conveniently lifted out.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that after the body of the fowl has been opened up in the usual manner by the use of a knife and by the application of instruments to hold the inci ion open, with the instrument embodying the present invention, it will not be necessary to make further use of a knife or other cutting implement for severing the cord by which the gland to be removed is attached to the body and by reason of the cauterizing efiect of the heated wire which effects the severance of the cord, bleeding will be immediately stopped and any bacteria which may be present and which would ordinarily enter a knife-made wound will be killed. The instrument, therefore, constitutes a combined grasping or holding means and a cutting means so that one hand only of the operator is necessary in handling the instrument and in shifting the gland and cutting it free, thus leaving the other hand free for other purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. An instrument of the character described, comprising a pair of arms resiliently connected at one end in the form of forceps whereby the free ends may be brought into contact, an element of high electrical resistance at the free end of one of said arms which contacts with the adjacent end of the other arm, and means which is made operative by the movement of the arms to a predetermined position relative to one another for passing electric current through said resistance element.

2. An instrument, comprising a pair of arms connected at one end to form a forceps, a high resistance electrical element carried by and extending transversely of the free end of one arm and adapted to be brought into contact with the free end of the other arm whereby it will coact with the said other arm to form a grasping means, and switch means, in circuit with said incandescent element, which is closed when the said arms are moved to a predetermined relative po sition.

3. An instrument, comprising a pair of elongated arms connected at one end to form a forceps, one of said arms at its free end being formed into a pair of divergent fingers, a bar connecting said fingers and formed of material of high electrical resistance, said bar being arranged to contact the free end of the other arm when the arms are forced together, and switch means, in circuit with said bar, which is closed when the arms are moved into a predetermined relation.

4. An instrument, comprising a pair of elongated arms connected at one end to form a forceps, one of said arms at its free end being formed into a pair of divergent fingers, a bar connecting said fingers and formed of material of high electrical resistance, said bar being arranged to contact the free end of the other arm when the arms are forced together, a pair of electric contacts each carried by one of said arms, said contacts being electrically coupled on bringing the arms together to a predetermined position, and electric current conducting means connected with said element and said contacts.

5. A forceps-like instrument having a pair of resiliently connected arms with free ends adapted to be brought into contacting relation, one of said arms at its free end being formed to provide a pair of divergently related fingers, a bar of high electrical resistance connecting the free ends of said fingers and contacting the free end of the other arm when the arms are forced together, a pair of contact buttons each carried by one of said arms and adapted to be brought into contacting relation upon the movement of the arms to a predetermined position, electrical means for conducting current to said bar controlled by said contacts, said contacts being free of engagement one with the other upon the initial engagement of the bar with the opposed arm and electrically coupled upon further compression of the arms together.

6. An instrument of the character described, comprising a pair of arms resiliently connected at one end, the other ends of the arms being free for relative movement, one of said arms at its free end being relatively broad, a body of heat resisting insulation disposed across the said broad end of the said one of the arms, the free end of the other one of the arms being formed to provide a pair of divergently related fingers, a bar of material of high electrical resistance connecting the free ends of said fingers, a contact button mounted upon the inner face of each am, an electric wire leading to one end of said element, an electric wire leading from the other end of said element to one of said buttons, and

an electrical wire leading from the other of said buttons, said wires facilitating the conduction of current to said element, and said element upon the movement of the arms together contacting said body of insulation in advance or the connecting together of said contact buttons.

'7. A tissue severing implement comprising a pair of bar members connected together for resilient relative movement, the bars being ar- 10 ranged to have two ends relatively shifted by such movement, a pair of electric terminals constitutlng switch points connected by the members to be brought into contact by movement of the members relatively in one direction, and a bare electric resistance wire carried by one member for contact with tissue disposed between said two ends and coupled into an electric circuit by the engagement of said contacts. 

